System and a process for monitoring and verifying bunker fuel exchange between marine vessels

ABSTRACT

A system for monitoring and verifying a delivery process during which a fluid is delivered, via a bunker line, from a supplying marine vessel to a receiving marine vessel is disclosed. A data capture device comprises a measurement apparatus configured to measure one or more parameters related to the delivery process, such as a mass flow rate of the fluid through the bunker line or a density or a temperature of the fluid. A measurement apparatus being configured to generate an electronic record that can be stored in a memory. The system further includes a private network to provide a point-to-point wireless link between the supplying marine vessel and the receiving marine vessel. The client device is configured to generate a dashboard configured to present the electronic record to the first and second users and to accept an electronic signature of each of the first and second users.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No.17/879,606, filed on Aug. 2, 2022, which claims the benefit of priorityof European Patent Application No. EP21189240.1 filed Aug. 2, 2021 andSingapore Patent Application No. 10202108445U, filed on Aug. 2, 2021,entitled “A System and a Process for Monitoring and Verifying BunkerFuel Exchange Between Marine Vessels,” which is hereby incorporated byreference herein in its entirety and for all purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates generally to a system for measuring anamount of fuel delivered during a bunkering operation between a bargeand a vessel. More specifically, the inventive concepts described hereinaim to allow such measurements to be reported in real time during thebunkering process and to ensure the authenticity of the measurementsbeing reported.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Bunkering malpractice is a well-known phenomenon in the shippingindustry. Unscrupulous parties stand to make substantial profits throughmisreporting on the quality and/or the quantity of fuel delivered from abunker supply ship (barge) to a bunker receiving vessel during bunkeringprocesses. Bunker fuel can mean any distillate or residual fuel intendedfor combustion purposes for propulsion or for the operation of systemson board a marine vessel. Bunker fuels may include distillate marine(DM) fuel oils, high Sulphur fuel oil (HSFO), residual marine fuel oils(RM), ultra-low Sulphur fuel oil (ULSFO), very-low Sulphur fuel oil(VLSFO), heavy fuel oil (HFO), low-Sulphur fuel oil (LSFO), marinediesel oil (MDO), marine gas oil (MGO), LNG fuel bunker, etc. The bunkerfuel is pumped through a bunker line from the barge to the receivingvessel. Bunkering is a somewhat manually intensive process with manyopportunities for malpractices to arise, where significant quantities offuel can go missing or otherwise remain unreported, thus resulting inlost revenue. A lot of effort has gone into trying to minimize suchloss.

Traditionally, manual vessel sounding or dipping techniques were used todetermine the amount of bunker fuel in a vessel. These methods allow forthe volume of fuel to be estimated. But bunker fuel is usually sold byweight. The weight per unit volume varies depending on the density ofthe fuel, which can in turn vary with temperature or with pressure forexample. Traditional practices for estimating the amount of fueldelivered are therefore rather labor-intensive, requiring laboratorytests to determine density and relying heavily on the use of manual dipsand look-up tables to convert from volume to weight and so on. Forexample, using its look-up tables and measuring the height differencebetween the level of fuel in the bunker barge before and after the fueldelivery, the Barge Master may calculate that a six-inch drop in fuellevel for ship X at temperature T corresponds to a given amount of fuel.The Chief Engineer of the receiving vessel may make its owncalculations. Both parties document their calculations, and theyvalidate and certify each other's assertions regarding the deliverydetails. Errors can often occur, either inadvertently or maliciously,which can result in a protest being filed by either of the parties oreven in full-blown legal disputes. All of these processes arepaper-based and require physical documents to be exchanged between theBarge Master and the Chief Engineer to manually sign-off the paperwork.

More up-to-date measurement methods allow for the weight, or mass, ofthe bunker fuel being delivered, to be measured directly. Directlymeasuring the mass of fuel delivered reduces errors which may occur whenmeasuring volume, due to variations in density and/or viscosity of thefuel during the delivery session or due to the presence of air bubblesin the fuel. Direct measurement of mass can be done using a massflowmeter, otherwise known as an inertial flowmeter. A mass flowmeter isa device for measuring mass flow rate of a fluid travelling through atube, i.e. the mass of the fluid which passes a given point per unittime. A Coriolis mass flowmeter, inserted in the bunker line, may beused to directly measure the mass of fuel transferred during a bunkeringsession. The mass flowmeters used for monitoring bunkering processes areusually certified by a port authority or a national weights and measuresoffice or any other authority responsible for ensuring that the massflowmeters comply with industry-accepted metrology requirements. Suchmass flowmeters usually have a controller to provide the necessaryelectronic control signals to control the flowmeter's operation and toreceive measurement signals from the flowmeter. They can be configuredto measure mass flow, volume flow, density, and temperature, forexample. The controller may also have a transmitter for sending themeasurement data to be processed. The data may be processed by adedicated flow computer. Provision may be made to print out a bunkertransfer receipt including the time, date, and the total quantity offuel transferred, for example. The transfer receipt may be used as alegal (Weights & Measures) document. Information from the transferreceipt may be used to fill out the Bunker Delivery Note (BDN), which isan official receipt which will be used as the basis for a commercialinvoice. The BDN lists the quantity of fuel delivered, the Sulphurcontent in % m/m and a small number of other physical characteristics. Adrip sample is also taken and stored for future analysis should adispute arise. Other documents and/or certificates related to safetyprocedures are also filled out. All of these documents have to be passedback and forth between the barge and the vessel forsigning/countersigning.

The prior art includes systems and methods for measuring the amount offuel delivered in a bunkering operation. Such systems may use avibrating meter, such as a Coriolis flowmeter. Such systems and methodshave been used to solve problems related to false or erroneousmeasurements which were known to occur using any of the more traditionalmethods described above, thus providing reliable bunkering operationsfor large ocean-going vessels. The prior art also includes systems whichuse Coriolis mass flowmeters which have been adapted to solve a problemwhere entrained air or other gasses in the bunker line would otherwisecause the flowmeter to provide false readings.

A bunker fuel transfer system that includes a measurement system isknown, wherein various sensors are used to measure certain parametersrelated to bunker fuel flowing through a bunker line, or flow tube,during a bunkering session. The sensors include motion sensors of aCoriolis mass flowmeter configured to measure a flow rate of the bunkerfuel through the bunker line, temperature sensors and pressure sensors,and the system is configured to calculate the mass of the fueltransferred during the bunkering session. The system is furtherconfigured to generate a bunker report on the receiving vessel,documenting the amount of fuel transferred. This physical bunker reportmay then be signed off by the Chief Engineer of the receiving vessel andhanded to the Barge Master for countersigning, in the usual mannerdescribed above, along with all the other paperwork related to thebunkering session. This system is also configured to generate and toarchive the bunker transfer reports in an electronic file format forauditing purposes. The system may also comprise a wireless router foruploading the electronic bunker transfer report to a client FTP site viacellular or broadband wireless connectivity means or to send bunkertransfer reports to clients via email.

For example, United States Patent Publication No. US 2010/217536 A1discloses a bunker fuel transfer system for providing quantity certainof bunker fuel delivery transactions. The bunker fuel transfer systemincludes a Coriolis flow tube, a Coriolis transmitter, and amulti-measurement metering system, which can be on a skid on the deck ofthe bunker barge supplying the fuel. These instruments are linked to acomputer and a bunker receipt issuing equipment in the control room ofthe vessel being supplied, the computer receiving various measurementsfrom the instruments and calculating how much fuel was delivered, amongothers. The bunker receipt issuing equipment can generate a bunkerdelivery note and/or a bunker transfer report, in order to provide proofthat the contractual terms concerning the delivery have been met. Thevessel has a broadband router to allow for the counter-signed reports tobe sent to clients by email or to a client FTP site via broadcastwireless or satellite communication means.

Vessel monitoring systems for monitoring characteristics of a vesselfrom a remote location are known. Such systems generally use a massflowmeter for monitoring fuel consumption. The systems further include asatellite transceiver to transmit the monitored data to a base stationreceiver via a satellite. Other vehicle monitoring systems may comprisea plurality of sensors, including a mass flowmeter, and a telemetry unitto convert the measured parameters into a characteristic to bemonitored, and a transceiver for sending telemetry signals to a remotesite for processing. The transceivers used in such systems generallyoperate using satellite, GPRS or WiMAX communications means.

Mass flowmeters have therefore been widely used in the prior art in thecontext of bunkering. However, although their introduction might haveprovided for more rigorous for reporting based on accurate mass-basedmeasurements, it cannot be said that they have entirely eliminated theproblems related to false reporting. Indeed, mass flowmeters may stillbe manipulated, particularly out at sea or in any location where theyare not mandated, for example by using recirculating lines, low flowrates, improper stoppages, improper drive gain levels, lack ofcorrection for aeration, and so on. Furthermore, even with the use ofmass flowmeters, in a marine environment where there is usually noaccess to terrestrial communications networks, there still remains theproblem of having to sign, exchange and countersign paper documents bymanually passing the physical documents back and forth between the bargeand the vessel.

Bunkering operations usually take place at sea, where connectivity tobroadband wireless or satellite communications services may be limitedor even non-existent. As such, it is not always possible for electronicbunker transfer reports to be sent to clients via wirelesscommunications means. Furthermore, communications via satellites, evenwhen a reliable connection may be sustained for long enough, do notprovide a low enough latency for real-time monitoring of bunker deliverycharacteristics to be performed.

In view of the prior art, there remains a need to provide a moreefficient, cost-effective, means for monitoring bunker transfercharacteristics and for signing off or otherwise verifying orauthenticating that the bunker transfer has been carried out correctly.There is a need for access to accurate, in-line, real-time, measurementsof parameters or characteristics related to a bunker delivery sessionduring which a fluid is delivered from a supplying marine vessel, orbunker barge, to a receiving marine vessel. A vessel means a sea-goingvessel or watercraft such as a barge, a boat or a ship, for example. Thefluid may be a multiphase fluid or any mixture of two or more componentsin which the base phase is a liquid, such as liquids with entrained gas,particle-laden flows, slurries, emulsions, and multi-liquid mixtures.Preferably, the fluid is bunker fuel.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

According to a first embodiment, there is disclosed herein a system formonitoring and verifying a delivery process during which a fluid isdelivered, via a bunker line, from a supplying marine vessel to areceiving marine vessel in accordance with a set of preestablishedcontractual terms, the system comprising:

a data capture device configured to capture data related to the deliveryprocess; anda monitoring unit configured to be operably connected to the datacapture device to receive the data related to the delivery process, themonitoring unit comprising:at least one processor configured to generate an electronic recordcomprising at least part of the received data related to the deliveryprocess; and at least one memory to store the electronic record and/orthe received data related to the delivery process;characterized in that:the system further comprises a private local area network comprising:a first wireless transceiver configured to be operably connected to themonitoring unit, the first wireless transceiver being configured toprovide wireless access to the monitoring unit by one or more wirelesscommunications devices of one or more authorized first users on thesupplying marine vessel;a second wireless transceiver configured to be operably connected to thefirst wireless transceiver and configured to provide a point-to-pointwireless link between the supplying marine vessel and the receivingmarine vessel; anda third wireless transceiver, for location on the receiving marinevessel, configured to provide wireless access to the second wirelesstransceiver by one or more wireless communication devices of one or moreauthorized second users on the receiving marine vessel via thepoint-to-point wireless link;the processor being further configured to generate a dashboard,accessible to the first and second users having access to the privatelocal area network, the dashboard being configured to present theelectronic record to the first and second users and to accept anelectronic signature of each of the first and second users to indicate,respectively, whether the first and second users have each positivelyverified the electronic record with respect to said preestablishedcontractual terms, the delivery process being verified when both thefirst and second users have provided their electronic signatures.

The data capture device may be an electronic memory, a computer memoryor a database in which some data related to the delivery session hasbeen stored. The data related to the delivery session may be, forexample, the receiving vessel name or serial number, the delivery vesselname or serial number, a reference number for the delivery session, areference number or name of the fluid being delivered, a referenceindicating a phase of the delivery session, and so on. The data capturedevice, according to another embodiment, may be an apparatus such as anavigation system, where the data related to the delivery session may bea global position of the barge or the vessel during the delivery sessionand/or a date and/or time when the delivery session takes place.According to another embodiment, the data capture device may be acomputer and the data related to the delivery session may be an IPaddress of the computer. According to still another embodiment, the datacapture device may be a video camera and the data related to thedelivery session may be video images of a part of the bunkering process.According to yet another embodiment, the capture device may be ameasurement apparatus having one or more sensors to measure one or moreparameters related to the delivery process, such as a level of fuel in atank, a mass flow rate of the fuel being delivered through the bunkerline, the temperature of the fuel, the viscosity of the fuel, etc.Several different capture devices of different types may be used in anembodiment.

The third wireless transceiver may be a transceiver of any wirelessdevice on the receiving vessel. For example, a transceiver of a tabletcomputer or a transceiver of a smartphone. The third transceiver mayotherwise be a transceiver of a network device on the receiving vesselto which a user on the receiving vessel may connect using a computingdevice such as the receiving vessel's bridge computer or a portablecomputer. The third wireless transceiver may have an antenna in someembodiments.

The data captured by the data capture device can be any data that can beused to substantiate or verify that the contractual obligations of theoperation have been properly carried out in line with any compliancecriteria or regulatory criteria generally used in the bunkering domainto meet the required safety and/or legal requirements.

According to another embodiment, a computer-implemented method formonitoring and verifying a delivery process during which a fluid isdelivered, via a bunker line, from a supplying marine vessel to areceiving marine vessel in accordance with a set of preestablishedcontractual terms, the method comprising:

capturing at least one datum related to the delivery process ormeasuring at least one set of parameters relative to one or more from: amass flow rate of the fluid through at least a part of the bunker line;a physical property of the fluid; a chemical property of the fluid; anda quality of the fluid;generating, using a processor, an electronic record comprising at leastone parameter from the set of parameters;storing the electronic record in a memory;generating, using the processor, a dashboard, the dashboard beingconfigured to present the electronic record and to accept an electronicsignature from at least two users, to indicate whether the two usershave each positively verified the electronic record with respect to saidpreestablished contractual terms;providing access to the dashboard, on a private local area network, by awireless communications device of at least one authorized first user onthe supplying marine vessel, via a wireless router on the supplyingmarine vessel;providing access to the dashboard, on the private local area network, bya wireless communications device of at least one authorized second useron the receiving marine vessel, via a point-to-point wirelesscommunications channel between a wireless access point on the supplyingmarine vessel and a wireless client device of the wireless access point,the wireless client device being on the receiving marine vessel; andreceiving, via the dashboard, an electronic signature of the authorizedfirst user to indicate whether the authorized first user has verifiedthe electronic record with respect to the preestablished contractualterms and an electronic signature of the authorized second user toindicate whether the second user has verified the electronic record withrespect to the preestablished contractual terms, the delivery processbeing verified when both of said electronic signatures have beenreceived.

According to an embodiment, the delivery process is verified when allregulatory conditions have been met, and may include the electronicsignatures mentioned above, an IP address signature, a geotag signatureand/or a date stamp, including time of day, among others.

According to yet another embodiment, provision is made fornon-transitory computer-readable medium, which when implemented by acomputer, cause the computer to perform the method disclosed above.

According to a another embodiment, a computer program product stored ona computer usable medium is provided, the computer program productcomprising computer readable program means for causing a computer tocarry out the method disclosed above.

According to another embodiment, a computer program is provided, thecomputer program comprising computer readable program means for causinga computer to carry out the method(s) herein disclosed. Thus, computerreadable program means for performing the techniques herein disclosedmay be obtained by a user by downloading the computer program over acommunications network such as the Internet, for storing on acomputer-readable medium.

Embodiments of the present invention allow for one or more aspects of abunker fuel delivery process to be monitored and verified, preferably inreal-time. Bunkering processes generally take place between marinevessels at sea, where broadband or satellite communications betweenvessels may be costly, unreliable and/or may lack sufficient bandwidthto provide for the required real-time monitoring.

Embodiments described herein provide for economic, bi-directional,low-latency, real-time communication of reliable bunker-relatedinformation between the Barge Master of the supplying vessel and theChief Engineer of the receiving vessel, thereby allowing forback-and-forth signing and countersigning of electronic documents toverify and sign-off on the important aspects of the bunkering session,or process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The inventive concepts described herein will be better understood thanksto the detailed description which follows and the accompanying drawings,which are given as non-limiting examples of embodiments of the inventiveconcepts, namely:

FIG. 1 , illustrating a bunkering process taking place at sea, wherebunker fuel is delivered from a supplying marine vessel, or bunkerbarge, to a receiving marine vessel via a bunker line;

FIG. 2 , showing a bunker line in which a mass flowmeter has beeninserted, the mass flowmeter comprising at least one motion sensor andbeing controlled by a transmitter/controller;

FIG. 3 , showing a schematic representation of a part of a systemaccording to an embodiment described herein;

FIG. 4 , showing a schematic representation of a system according to anembodiment described herein;

FIG. 5 , showing a schematic representation of a system according toanother embodiment described herein;

FIG. 6 , illustrating a system according to an embodiment describedherein;

FIG. 7 , showing a schematic representation of a part of the disclosedsystem on the supplying vessel according to an embodiment in whichaccess to a wide area network is provided via a gateway device.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a process for monitoring and verifying bunkerfuel exchange between marine vessels, according to an example of thepresent disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A system is disclosed for streamlining the bunker delivery process inthe maritime industry. The system provides a bunker delivery platform toimprove efficiency and to build transparency into the bunker deliveryprocess. The platform allows for stakeholders in the bunker deliveryprocess, such as the Barge Master of the bunker barge, or supplyingmarine vessel, and the Chief Engineer of the receiving marine vessel, tomonitor and verify, among other things, the quantity and/or quality ofthe fuel in real time during the delivery process. A dashboard with dataindicating key characteristics of the process, is made available to eachof the stakeholders so that they can verify the process with respect toa preestablished contract stating certain criteria which have to be met.The data presented in the dashboard may come directly from varioussensors in a measurement apparatus operably connected to the bunker linethrough which the fuel is delivered, the sensors being configured tomeasure parameters such as the mass flow rate of the fuel as it transitsthrough the bunker line, the temperature of the fuel, the density of thefuel, parameters related to the chemical content of the fuel, forexample the Sulphur content, the pressure in the bunker line,differential pressure across a part of the bunker line and so on. Thesystem includes a monitoring unit, which is a custom hardware componentcomprising a processor and a memory, configured to collect themeasurement data from the sensors in the measurement apparatus. Themonitoring unit also runs custom software to provide access to themeasurement data by authorized users on the supplying marine vessel andon the receiving marine vessel.

Instead of, or as well as, showing measurement data in the dashboard,the system may comprise other types of data capture devices than simplythe measurement apparatus. Any other type of data useful insubstantiating or otherwise authenticating the contractual or regulatoryrequirements may be used. For example, the system may comprise a memoryor have access to a database in which data relative to the deliverysession may be stored, like a name of the vessel, the type of fuel beingdelivered, etc. The data capture device may be a GPS device or an AISsystem, used for automatically tracking vessel positions, for providingglobal coordinates of the position of the vessel or it may be a timerfor providing date and/or time information of the delivery session.According to an embodiment, the data capture device may be a videocapture device for capturing video data of all or part of a process orprocess step during the delivery session. For example, the samplingprocess involves collecting three small bottles of the fuel bycollecting small drops of the fuel at certain times during the deliverysession. The video capture device may be configured to provide a videostream of the sampling process, the video data being received by themonitoring unit and transmitted via the point-to-point wirelesscommunications link. By including the video feed in the electronicrecord for display in the dashboard, it can then be properly verifiedthat the sampling process was carried out according to the regulatoryprocedure.

Embodiments of the system described herein include a private local areawireless network, built around a wireless router which is preferably onthe supplying marine vessel. The monitoring unit and the router areinterconnected via a physical local area network connection and therouter is also connected to a wireless access point which is configuredto implement a point-to-point bi-directional wireless communication linkto a corresponding client wireless router on the receiving marinevessel, preferably in direct line of site with the wireless access pointon the supplying marine vessel. Authorized users having mobilecommunications devices on the receiving vessel can therefore access themonitoring unit via this private local area wireless network using a webbrowser for example. The system may also produce an electronic BunkerDelivery Note as well as other documents required for auditing thedelivery process. The Bunker Delivery Note may be made available to theChief Engineer via the private local area network. When both partiesagree that the electronic documents correspond to the quantity andquality of the delivered fuel, they can each provide their electronicsignatures via the portal, indicating that the delivery process has beenverified. Details of the contract may be stored in the system so thatthe parties can perform the verification. These details may include abunker delivery sampling procedures form, handling procedures form,ullages report for initial pre-delivery measurements, bunker analysisreport, safety checklists, the amount of fuel expected, and so on. Afterdelivery, further electronic documents may be produced, such as a bunkerdelivery receipt, an ullage report and a statement of facts.

The system provides the advantage that electronic documents can beautomatically generated, based on real-time in-line measurementsreceived from different sensors in the measurement apparatus while thefuel is being delivered. Errors which may occur due to manual data entryare thus avoided. The documents can be exchanged back and forth betweenthe supplying vessel and the receiving vessel over the private wirelessnetwork for cross verification. Electronic documents can also readily besigned to indicate a party's approval.

Users have access, via a client portal, using secure, permissioned, URLaccess to the information and metrics regarding the bunker delivery viaa real-time interactive bunker management dashboard. Users can viewcurrent and historical bunker delivery information, including electronicBunker Delivery Notes, mass flowmeter measurement data, barge auditrecords and reports, operational timelines and metrics regarding thedelivery process such as mass flowmeter profiles, for example. Thanks tothe system of the invention, current and historical bunker deliveryinformation may be viewed by authorized users in any global location.

According to an embodiment, access to a wide area network may also beprovided by connecting a gateway device to the router having access to asatellite connection for example. In this embodiment, an electronicinvoice for the delivery may be sent directly to the customer based onthe electronic bunker delivery note. In this embodiment, the monitoringunit is further configured to upload the measurements to the cloud viathe gateway device so that they may be consulted by other authorizedparties in other locations. The system thus provides automatic,real-time reporting to other stakeholders in the bunkering process apartfrom the barge master of the delivery vessel and the Chief Engineer ofthe receiving vessel, such as port authorities, customs authorities, andso on.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a bunkering session is illustrated 100, in whichbunker fuel is transferred from a storage tank 103 of a supplying marinevessel, a bunker barge 102, through a bunker line 108 to one or morefuel tanks 106 of a receiving vessel 105. Bunker barges are usuallysmaller, and shorter in height, than the receiving vessel and so thebunker barge may have a crane to lift the bunker line high enough toallow the bunker line to be connected to the receiving vessel'sbunkering manifold.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a Coriolis mass flowmeter221, which may be inserted into the bunker line 208, and which may beused to measure the flow rate of fluid, the bunker fuel, as it passesthrough the bunker line. A magnet and coil assembly, located at acertain part of the mass flowmeter, is driven by an electrical signal223, which causes a part of the mass flowmeter to vibrate, or oscillate,during operation. The way the different parts of the flowmeter oscillatedepends on the mass flow rate of the fluid travelling through the massflowmeter. At least two further magnet and coil assemblies are placed onthe mass flowmeter at different locations along the flow of the fluid tooperate as sensors. The vibrations of these parts of the flowmeter causethe sensors to provide electrical signals which are out of phase withone another. The sensors produce sinusoidal signals 224 a, 224 brepresenting the motion of the corresponding part of the mass flowmeter,caused by the flow of the fluid through the mass flowmeter. By comparingthe phase of the signals produced by the sensors the mass flow rate ofthe fluid flowing through the meter can be determined. The massflowmeter usually operates along with a transmitter/controller 222 todrive the mass flowmeter and to receive the sensor signals and processthem. The transmitter/controller, usually called simply a transmitter,may output such parameters 225 as mass and volume flow, net productcontent or flow, temperature, density or concentration, for example.

Coriolis mass flowmeters use the Coriolis principle to measure the massflow rate (kilograms per hour) and density directly. Such massflowmeters can be configured to display mass flow rate, volumetric flowrate, or a combination of both. Some mass flowmeters may also presentthe temperature of the liquid or liquid mixture being measured. The flowrate can be calculated from the phase difference between the signalsreceived from the different sensors. Density can be calculated from thefrequency of the signal from the sensors.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a part of a system 390 formonitoring and verifying a delivery process during which a fluid isdelivered, via a bunker line 308, from a supplying marine vessel to areceiving marine vessel, as described herein. FIG. 3 shows a part of thebunker line 308 through which the fluid is delivered. The systemcomprises a data capture device, which in this case is a measurementapparatus 320, engaged in some way with the bunker line to allow forcertain parameters related to the delivery process to be measured. Asshown in FIG. 3 , the measurement apparatus may comprise a massflowmeter 321. The mass flowmeter may be a Coriolis mass flowmeterinserted into the bunker line so that the mass flowmeter can measure themass flow rate of the fluid as it travels through the bunker line.According to other embodiments, the measurement apparatus may havedifferent types of sensors to allow it to measure different parameters.For example, a temperature sensor may engage with the bunker line byprobing into the flow of the fluid in the bunker line. Other sensors arepossible, for example, a timer, one or more pressure sensors to measurethe pressure of the fluid in the bunker line or to measure a pressuredifference along a part of the bunker line, a rheometer to measureviscosity of the fluid or one or more from a number of differentchemical sensors to detect such things as a percentage water content inthe fluid; a percentage sediment content in the fluid; a percentageSulphur content in the fluid; or a percentage ash content in the fluid,and so on.

In FIG. 3 , the mass flowmeter is shown in combination with itstransmitter 322, which provides the electrical signals 323 to cause theoscillations in the mass flowmeter and which receives the electricalsignals 324 a, 324 b from the sensors in the mass flowmeter, allowingthe mass flow rate of the fluid through the bunker line to be calculatedand for the density of the fluid to be calculated. Preferably, the massflowmeter is located at the supplying marine vessel.

The system further comprises a monitoring unit 330, which is connectedto the measurement apparatus so that the monitoring unit can receive themeasured parameters 325 as they are measured. According to anembodiment, the monitoring unit comprises 330 at least one memory 332for storing the measured parameters and at least one processor 331 toprocess the measured parameters. The parameters may be measured atdifferent time intervals during the delivery process and fed to themonitoring unit. The processor may be configured to generate anelectronic record comprising at least one parameter from the receivedset of measured parameters. The electronic record may otherwise, or inaddition, comprise a datum derived or otherwise calculated from one ormore of the measured parameters. According to a particular embodiment,especially when the measurement apparatus comprises a Coriolis massflowmeter, the measurement apparatus further comprises a flow computer(not shown in FIG. 3 ) adapted to receive the parameter measurementsfrom the mass flowmeter and to treat them. Mass flowmeter manufacturerssometimes provide the mass flowmeter and flow computer together as aunit in order to improve metrology performance and to reduce measurementuncertainty thus ensuring compliance with measurement contracts. Suchunits are usually certified by a Weights and Measures authority or by aport authority or other similar metrology authority responsible forensuring that the units comply with industry-accepted metrologyrequirements. In such embodiments, the monitoring unit collects themeasurement parameters from the mass flowmeter in read-only mode, thusensuring that the data received by the monitoring unit meets thecompliances certified by the relevant authority. In other embodiments,without a flow computer, the monitoring unit reads the measurementparameters directly from the mass flowmeter and it is the combination ofmass flowmeter and monitoring unit which is certified by the relevantauthority.

The processor of the monitoring unit is further configured to generate anetwork-accessible dashboard, accessible, preferably using a webbrowser, to the first and second users having access to the privatelocal area network, the dashboard being configured to present theelectronic record to the first and second users and to accept anelectronic signature of each of the first and second users to indicate,respectively, whether the first and second users have each positivelyverified the electronic record with respect to said preestablishedcontractual terms, the delivery process being verified when both thefirst and second users have provided their electronic signatures.

According to an embodiment, as well as feeding the measurement data fromthe mass flowmeter to the monitoring unit, a printer 305 may be used onthe supplying vessel to print a bunker delivery receipt. This is shownin FIG. 3 , where after the bunkering process has been completed, aswitch 307 can be actioned to switch the measurement apparatus output togo to the printer. Embodiments also exist without the printer and theswitch.

The monitoring unit is connected, via a physical communications networkcable, to a wireless router 310 on the supplying marine vessel, orbarge. Users on the barge can thus connect to the monitoring unit usinga web browser to view the measurement results using a mobilecommunications device such as a telephone or a tablet computer 315 forexample. According to an embodiment, the monitoring unit is configuredto run a software application to present the measurement data, or otherdata derived or otherwise calculated from the measurement data, in adashboard accessible by web browser. In embodiments where the datacapture device is a video capture device, the monitoring unit isconfigured to present all or part of video content captured during atleast a part of a process during the delivery session in the dashboardaccessible via a web browser. Similarly, when the data capture devicecaptures data from a memory or from a database, the monitoring unit isconfigured to present the captured data in the dashboard.

According to the embodiment, the system further comprises an antenna,connected by a physical communications network cable to the wirelessrouter and configured as a wireless access point 340 to provide apoint-to-point wireless communications link to a corresponding furthertransceiver on the receiving vessel, the further transceiver beingconfigured as a client device to the access point. Preferably, theplacement of the access point and the client on their respective vesselsis chosen to provide for line-of-sight communication between the bargeand the receiving vessel via the point-to-point communications link.FIG. 3 shows the system up to the wireless access point. The clientdevice and the receiving vessel are not shown. The further transceivermay also have an antenna and may provide wireless connection to one ormore computers or mobile devices on the vessel. In another embodiment,the further transceiver may be part of a mobile communications devicesuch as a smartphone or a tablet computer or other mobile communicationsdevice.

The point-to-point communications network is preferably a privatenetwork. The network thus created, including wireless devices on thereceiving vessel and wireless devices on the barge and the monitoringunit, can be said to be an Intranet.

The system 400, as it is deployed over the barge 402 and the receivingvessel 405 according to one embodiment, is schematically represented inFIG. 4 . FIG. 4 shows the barge and its system components 402,graphically represented by a box, in point-to-point wirelesscommunication 499 with the receiving vessel 405. The receiving vesselhas the antenna 445 configured as a router which is a client of theaccess point on the barge. Authorized users on the receiving vessel canthen connect to the network using their mobile communications devices425.

According to another embodiment, shown in FIG. 5 , the receiving vessel505 further comprises a further router 546, connected to the furtherantenna 545, allowing users 525 on the receiving vessel to connect tothe network 599.

According to an embodiment, there is no antenna on the receiving vesseland the point-to-point communications link is completed using atransceiver of a mobile communications device used on the vessel.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a system 600 in which an embodiment ofthe invention may be deployed. On the barge 602, there is a data capturedevice. In this case, the data capture device is a measurement apparatus620, which measures a set of parameters related to the delivery processby engaging with the bunker line 608 through which the fuel deliverytakes place. The measurement data is read off and stored by themonitoring unit 630. The monitoring unit is also configured to run anapplication to produce a network-accessible dashboard in which themeasurements are presented. The dashboard may be accessible using a webbrowser, over the private wireless communications network. Themonitoring device is configured such that the thus-generated dashboardaccepts inputs from authorized users, preferably in the form of anelectronic signature of the user to indicate that the user has verifiedthat the measurements or parameters presented in the dashboard meet withthe requirements stated in a set of preestablished contractual termsrelating to the delivery process.

In embodiments in which the data capture device is a video capturedevice, the monitoring unit is configured to treat the captured videodata of all or part of a process used during the delivery session toallow it to be displayed in the dashboard.

Using embodiments described herein, it is possible for both the BargeMaster and the Chief Engineer of the receiving vessel to monitor one ormore characteristics of the bunkering session in real time as the bunkerfuel is being delivered thanks to the point-to-point private wirelessnetwork 699 and the dashboard created by the monitoring unit 630. Thesystem may comprise different sensors allowing for various differentcharacteristics to be monitored, including: the viscosity of thedelivered fuel; its density; its temperature; its mass; its flow rate;the percentage water content in the delivered fuel; the percentagesediment content; the percentage Sulphur content; the percentage ashcontent; and the time taken to pump the delivered fuel or the timesduring which the pumping took place. In a preferred embodiment, thesystem comprises pressure sensors to measure differential pressure overthe flowmeter, which is useful to compensate a measurement whenentrained gas is included in the bunker fuel. Using the measuredparameters and characteristics an electronic bunker delivery note (BDN)may be generated and populated automatically. Other documents orcertificates relating to the bunker session may also be generated andpopulated using measured values. The generated electronic documents maybe electronically signed by the Barge Master and then transmittedwirelessly to the Chief Engineer of the receiving vessel, who can thencountersign the documents and send copies back to the Bunker Master.According to an embodiment, the documents may be sent to the cloud.

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment which comprises a gateway device 750,connected via a physical local area network cable to the router 710 onthe barge, for example a Sigma Cluster. In this embodiment, themonitoring unit 730 can store its measurements, or other data formonitoring the delivery process, in the cloud 760, where it isaccessible to authorized users wherever their location provides themwith access to the cloud, for example using satellite technology or 4Gcommunications technology. Whenever the vessel is in a location whereaccess to the cloud is available, it can upload its measurement data andor/receive software modifications or settings modifications from thecloud. The measurement data, video data, invoicing data, or any otherdata used for verifying the delivery process, may also thus be madeavailable to clients or other stakeholders in the delivery process,preferably via a dashboard accessible via a web browser. The datacapture device, or measurement apparatus, is shown 720 as well as themonitoring unit 730, wireless router 710 and wireless access point 740for building the point-to-point private bidirectional wireless link tothe vessel.

According to an embodiment, the processor of the monitoring unit isconfigured to dismantle the private network when the bunkering processis completed.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a process 800 for monitoring and verifyingbunker fuel exchange between marine vessels, according to an example ofthe present disclosure. According to an example, one or more processblocks of FIG. 8 can be performed by a computing device.

At block 805, process 800 can include capturing at least one datumrelated to a delivery process of a fluid from a supplying marine vesselto a receiving marine vessel or measuring at least one set of parametersrelative to one or more from: a mass flow rate of the fluid through atleast a part of the bunker line, a physical property of the fluid, achemical property of the fluid, and a quality of the fluid. For example,computing device can capture at least one datum related to the deliveryprocess of a fluid from a supplying marine vessel to a receiving marinevessel or measuring at least one set of parameters relative to one ormore from: a mass flow rate of the fluid through at least a part of thebunker line, a physical property of the fluid, a chemical property ofthe fluid, and a quality of the fluid, as described above.

At block 810, process 800 can include generating, using a processor, anelectronic record can include all or part of the captured data or atleast one parameter from a set of parameters. For example, computingdevice can generate, using a processor, an electronic record can includeall or part of the captured data or at least one parameter from the setof parameters, as described above.

At block 815, process 800 can include storing the electronic record in amemory. For example, computing device can store the electronic record ina memory, as described above.

At block 820, process 800 can include generating, using the processor, adashboard, the dashboard being configured to present the electronicrecord and to accept an electronic signature from at least two users, toindicate whether the two users have each positively verified theelectronic record with respect to said preestablished contractual terms.For example, computing device can generate, using the processor, adashboard, the dashboard being configured to present the electronicrecord and to accept an electronic signature from at least two users, toindicate whether the two users have each positively verified theelectronic record with respect to said preestablished contractual terms,as described above.

At block 825, process 800 can include providing access to the dashboard,on a private local area network, by a wireless communications device ofat least one authorized first user on the supplying marine vessel, via awireless router on the supplying marine vessel. For example, computingdevice can provide access to the dashboard, on a private local areanetwork, by a wireless communications device of at least one authorizedfirst user on the supplying marine vessel, via a wireless router on thesupplying marine vessel, as described above.

At block 830, process 800 can include receiving, via the dashboard, anelectronic signature of the authorized first user and an electronicsignature of the authorized second user. The electronic signature of theauthorized first user can indicate whether the authorized first user hasverified the electronic record with respect to the preestablishedcontractual terms. The electronic signature of the authorized seconduser can indicate whether the second user has verified the electronicrecord with respect to the preestablished contractual terms. Thedelivery process can be verified when both of said electronic signatureshave been received. For example, computing device can receive, via thedashboard, an electronic signature of the authorized first user toindicate whether the authorized first user has verified the electronicrecord with respect to the preestablished contractual terms and anelectronic signature of the authorized second user to indicate whetherthe second user has verified the electronic record with respect to thepreestablished contractual terms, the delivery process being verifiedwhen both of said electronic signatures have been received, as describedabove.

Process 800 can include additional implementations, such as any singleimplementation or any combination of implementations described belowand/or in connection with one or more other processes describedelsewhere herein. In a first implementation, the electronic record caninclude a bunker delivery note.

In a second implementation, alone or in combination with the firstimplementation, the mass flow rate is measured by a Coriolis massflowmeter inserted in the bunker line.

A third implementation, alone or in combination with the first andsecond implementation, process 800 can include transmitting all or partof captured data to a base station using a satellite transceiver.

It should be noted that while FIG. 8 shows example blocks of process800, in some implementations, process 800 can include additional blocks,fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks thanthose depicted in FIG. 8 . Additionally, or alternatively, two or moreof the blocks of process 800 can be performed in parallel.

It is to be noted that the foregoing description is not intended tolimit the scope of the claims. For example, it is noted that thedisclosed methods and systems include additional features and can useadditional drilling parameters and relationships beyond the examplesprovided. The examples and illustrations provided in the presentdisclosure are for explanatory purposes and should not be considered aslimiting the scope of the invention, which is defined only by thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for monitoring and verifying a deliveryprocess during which a fluid is delivered, via a bunker line, from asupplying marine vessel to a receiving marine vessel, the systemcomprising: a data capture device configured to capture data related toa delivery process for a delivery of a fluid from a supplying marinevessel to a receiving marine vessel; and a monitoring unit configured tobe operably connected to the data capture device to receive the datarelated to the delivery process, the monitoring unit comprising: atleast one processor configured to generate an electronic recordcomprising at least part of the received data related to the deliveryprocess; and at least one memory to store the electronic record and/orthe received data related to the delivery process; a private local areanetwork comprising: a first wireless transceiver configured to beoperably connected to the monitoring unit, the first wirelesstransceiver being configured to provide wireless access to themonitoring unit by one or more wireless communications devices of one ormore authorized first users on the supplying marine vessel; a secondwireless transceiver configured to be operably connected to the firstwireless transceiver and configured to provide a point-to-point wirelesslink between the supplying marine vessel and the receiving marinevessel; and a third wireless transceiver, for location on the receivingmarine vessel, configured to provide wireless access to the secondwireless transceiver by one or more wireless communication devices ofone or more authorized second users on the receiving marine vessel viathe point-to-point wireless link; the processor being further configuredto generate a dashboard, accessible to a first user and a second userhaving access to the network, the dashboard being configured to presentthe electronic record to the first user and the second user and toaccept an electronic signature of each of the first user and the seconduser.
 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said data capturedevice is configured to capture said data over time during the deliveryprocess, the processor of the monitoring unit being further configuredto present all or part of the captured data in the dashboard as a streamover time.
 3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the data capturedevice, the monitoring unit and the first and second wirelesstransceivers are located on the supplying marine vessel, a measurementapparatus is connected to the monitoring unit by a first physicalelectrical communications connection, and the monitoring unit isconnected to the first wireless transceiver by a further physicalelectrical communications connection.
 4. The system according to claim1, wherein the second wireless transceiver and said third wirelesstransceiver are positioned to be able to perform line of sightcommunication with each other.
 5. The system according to claim 1,wherein the first wireless transceiver comprises a wireless router, thesecond wireless transceiver comprises a wireless access point and saidthird wireless transceiver comprises a client of the wireless accesspoint.
 6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said data capturedevice comprises a measurement apparatus configured to engage with thebunker line and to measure a set of parameters relative to one or morefrom: a mass flow rate of the fluid through at least a part of thebunker line; a physical property of the fluid; a chemical property ofthe fluid; and a quality of the fluid.
 7. The system according to claim1, wherein said data capture device comprises one from: a computermemory or a database within which at least a part of said data relatedto the delivery process has been captured; a timer to capture a dateand/or a time related to at least a part of the delivery process; aglobal position sensor to capture a position of the supplying marinevessel and/or the receiving marine vessel during at least a part of thedelivery process; and a video capture device to capture video data of atleast a part of the delivery process.
 8. The system according to claim1, wherein said data capture device comprises a measurement apparatuscomprising a mass flowmeter configured to be inserted in the bunkerline, a set of parameters being relative at least to a mass flow rate ofthe fluid through at least a part of the mass flowmeter, the massflowmeter comprising a plurality of motion sensors each configured toprovide an electrical signal as a function of a movement of at least apart of the mass flowmeter to which a respective motion sensor isattached, the measurement apparatus further comprising a transmitterconfigured at least: to drive a part of the mass flowmeter to cause atleast a part of the mass flowmeter to oscillate; to receive theelectrical signals from a respective motion sensors; and to calculatethe mass flow rate of the fluid through the bunker line as a function ofa phase difference between the electrical signals from at least two ofthe motion sensors.
 9. The system according to claim 8, wherein thetransmitter is further configured to calculate a density of the fluidbased on a frequency of the received electrical signals from one or moreof the motion sensors.
 10. The system according to claim 8, wherein themeasurement apparatus further comprises a flow computer configured to beoperably connected to the mass flowmeter and configured to calculate theset of parameters based at least on the mass flow rate of the fluidthrough the mass flowmeter and/or a density of the fluid as measured bythe mass flowmeter, and configured for the flow computer and the massflowmeter to form a combination which has been certified by a metrologyauthority as being a combination which provides accurate sets ofparameters.
 11. The system according to claim 8, wherein the monitoringunit is configured to calculate the set of parameters based at least onthe mass flow rate of the fluid through the mass flowmeter and/or adensity of the fluid as measured by the mass flowmeter, and for the massflowmeter and the monitoring unit to form a combination which has beencertified by a metrology authority as being a combination which providesaccurate sets of parameters.
 12. The system according to claim 6,wherein the measurement apparatus comprises one or more from: atemperature sensor; one or more pressure sensors; a rheometer; a timer;and a chemical sensor; the set of parameters comprising one or morefrom: a temperature of the fluid; a pressure of the fluid in at least apart of the measurement apparatus or a pressure difference over a partof the measurement apparatus; a viscosity of the fluid; a time taken todeliver all or part of the fluid; a percentage water content in thefluid; a percentage sediment content in the fluid; a percentage Sulphurcontent in the fluid; and a percentage ash content in the fluid.
 13. Thesystem according to claim 1, the system further comprising a gatewaydevice configured to be connected to the first wireless transceiver by astill further physical electrical communications connection, the gatewaydevice being configured to provide secure access to a wide area networkby the processor of the monitoring unit, the processor being configuredto store a set of measurements on a storage device of the wide areanetwork, the gateway device and the first wireless transceiver beingconfigured to provide secure access to the wide area network by one ormore wireless communications devices of one or more first users on thesupplying marine vessel.
 14. A computer-implemented method formonitoring and verifying a delivery process during which a fluid isdelivered, via a bunker line, from a supplying marine vessel to areceiving marine vessel, the method comprising: capturing at least onedatum related to a delivery process of a fluid from a supplying marinevessel to a receiving marine vessel or measuring at least one set ofparameters relative to one or more from: a mass flow rate of the fluidthrough at least a part of the bunker line, a physical property of thefluid, a chemical property of the fluid, and a quality of the fluid;generating, using a processor, an electronic record comprising all orpart of captured data or at least one parameter from a set ofparameters; storing the electronic record in a memory; generating, usingthe processor, a dashboard, the dashboard being configured to presentthe electronic record and to accept an electronic signature from atleast two users; providing access to the dashboard, on a private localarea network, by a wireless communications device of at least oneauthorized first user on the supplying marine vessel, via a wirelessrouter on the supplying marine vessel; providing access to thedashboard, on the network, by a wireless communications device of atleast one authorized second user on the receiving marine vessel, via apoint-to-point wireless communications channel between a wireless accesspoint on the supplying marine vessel and a wireless client device of thewireless access point, the wireless client device being on the receivingmarine vessel; and receiving, via the dashboard, an electronic signatureof the authorized first user and an electronic signature of theauthorized second user.
 15. The method according to claim 14, whereinthe electronic record comprises a bunker delivery note.
 16. The methodaccording to claim 14, wherein the mass flow rate is measured by aCoriolis mass flowmeter inserted in the bunker line.
 17. The methodaccording to claim 14, further comprising transmitting all or part ofcaptured data to a base station using a satellite transceiver.
 18. Anon-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, whichwhen implemented by a computer, cause the computer to perform operationscomprising: capturing at least one datum related to s delivery processof a fluid from a supplying marine vessel to a receiving marine vesselor measuring at least one set of parameters relative to one or morefrom: a mass flow rate of the fluid through at least a part of a bunkerline; a physical property of the fluid; a chemical property of thefluid; and a quality of the fluid; generating, using a processor, anelectronic record comprising all or part of the captured data or atleast one parameter from a set of parameters; storing the electronicrecord in a memory; generating, using the processor, a dashboard, thedashboard being configured to present the electronic record and toaccept an electronic signature from at least two users; providing accessto the dashboard, on a private local area network, by a wirelesscommunications device of at least one authorized first user on thesupplying marine vessel, via a wireless router on the supplying marinevessel; providing access to the dashboard, on the network, by a wirelesscommunications device of at least one authorized second user on thereceiving marine vessel, via a point-to-point wireless communicationschannel between a wireless access point on the supplying marine vesseland a wireless client device of the wireless access point, the wirelessclient device being on the receiving marine vessel; and receiving, viathe dashboard, an electronic signature of the authorized first user toand an electronic signature of the authorized second user to indicatewhether the second user.
 19. The non-transitory computer-readable mediumof claim 18 comprising instructions, which when implemented by thecomputer, cause the computer to perform operations further comprisingtransmitting all or part of the captured data to a base station using asatellite transceiver.
 20. A computer program product stored on acomputer usable medium, comprising computer readable program means forcausing a computer to perform operations comprising: capturing at leastone datum related to a delivery process of a fluid from a supplyingmarine vessel to a receiving marine vessel or measuring at least one setof parameters relative to one or more from: a mass flow rate of thefluid through at least a part of a bunker line, a physical property ofthe fluid, a chemical property of the fluid, and a quality of the fluid;generating, using a processor, an electronic record comprising all orpart of captured data or at least one parameter from a set ofparameters; storing the electronic record in a memory; generating, usingthe processor, a dashboard, the dashboard being configured to presentthe electronic record and to accept an electronic signature from atleast two users; providing access to the dashboard, on a private localarea network, by a wireless communications device of at least oneauthorized first user on the supplying marine vessel, via a wirelessrouter on the supplying marine vessel; providing access to thedashboard, on the network, by a wireless communications device of atleast one authorized second user on the receiving marine vessel, via apoint-to-point wireless communications channel between a wireless accesspoint on the supplying marine vessel and a wireless client device of thewireless access point, the wireless client device being on the receivingmarine vessel; and receiving, via the dashboard, a first electronicsignature of the authorized first user and a second electronic signatureof the authorized second user.